Arizona Coyotes Relocate Top Farm Team to Tucson

By Francisco Romero

The Phoenix Suns did it and now the Arizona Coyotes; I am talking about both sports organizations moving their farm teams close to Phoenix, but most importantly making them part of the Arizona sports landscape.

The Suns Development League team will start playing next season in Prescott Valley and the Coyotes farm team will make the move to Tucson.

At a press conference on Thursday in Tucson, the Coyotes’ President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc made the announcement.

The Club will play for the American Hockey League (AHL); the Tucson City Council approved a 10-year arena lease agreement between the Coyotes and the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) on May 17; and the Coyotes AHL affiliate will play its home games at the TCC beginning in October.

The Coyotes’ top farm team will play in the AHL’s Pacific Division. In 2015-16, the Pacific Division featured the AHL affiliates of the Anaheim Ducks (San Diego Gulls), Calgary Flames (Stockton Heat), Colorado Avalanche (San Antonio Rampage), Dallas Stars (Texas Stars), Edmonton Oilers (Bakersfield Condors), Los Angeles Kings (Ontario Reign) and San Jose Sharks (San Jose Barracuda).

“We are absolutely thrilled to relocate our AHL team to Tucson,” said Coyotes’ President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc during the press conference. “The Coyotes were part of the initial discussion to form a Pacific Division in the AHL but we were unable to secure a franchise prior to last season. We are extremely excited and proud to bring AHL hockey to a first class city like Tucson. This further proves that the Coyotes ownership group is committed to Arizona and to growing the Coyotes brand and the great game of hockey in our state.”

“The Coyotes are a good match for the TCC Arena,” said City of Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. “I know I join many Tucsonans in looking forward to their first home game.”

In the past few years Tucson has lost several sports teams including the Tucson Sidewinders (Triple A) and four Major League Baseball Teams who used Tucson as their Spring Training home (Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians).